- 10/23/2017
- Posted by: Mike O'Malley
- Category: Christmas, country radio, holiday programming
Getting a jump on Christmas and the holidays, A&O&B attended Tuesday’s (10/17/17) Nielsen Audio webinar “The 12 Myths of Holiday Radio Programming” which combined sales, streaming, social and PPM data in a half hour presentation that shed light on the ‘who’ and ‘how’ of Holiday Music consumption.
For country, the news varied from good suggestions for capitalizing on the annual event to the painful equivalent of sticking your tongue in a cavity.
Good News/Bad News
Getting the bad news out of the way first, Country has historically seen steep drops during holiday books – 14% according to the latest Nielsen PPM figures. The only other format shown to have double digit drops was Mexican Regional (-11%). Meanwhile AC and Soft AC jump 72% and 40% respectively.
On the opportunistic side though, streaming was identified a significant source of Holiday Music for fans – even more so than radio. In terms of share, 40% of Holiday Music listeners listened to seasonal music via a stream with 26% listening to over-the-air or satellite radio. Another 25% listened to their digital or physical music libraries.
Who Likes This Music Anyway?
Digging into the audience a bit more, Nielsen reported interest in Holiday Music was decidedly female (57%/43%). However the attraction for younger demographics may raise an eyebrow. 36% of 18-34s were reported to be Holiday Music Fans. In fact, the combined 13-34 age group made up 44% of the total Holiday Music Fan sample with a whopping 61% of fans being between 13 and 44 years old.
Five opportunities “under the tree” and how to take advantage of them:
- Urban, Classic Hits and Hot AC increase an average of 1% in the holiday months (Nov., Dec., and Holiday) – good to know if you have these stations in your cluster.
- Consumption of Holiday Music via streaming was strong. Consider if this presents a sales opportunity for your cluster.
- Besides audio streaming, Nielsen reports that radio (of course), albums, and digital song ownership are also significant sources of Holiday Music consumption though the percentages vary across markets (top DMAs, mid-October-December 2016). Besides focusing on our on-air product, know that these other sources can be either companions or competitors for ears and dollars.
- Traditions and family values matter. Make sure your station reflects these.
- Don’t be afraid to play the classics. 8 of the 10 most played Holiday titles were released prior to 1990. Combining spins, streams and sales, the 60s remain the most consumed era with (in descending order) the 40s, 50s, 80, 70s and 90s following. Still, while the classic are definitely wanted, 61% of Holiday Music fans are under 45 years old. Consider what contemporary artists’ music would make sense for these listeners.
Special thanks to Jon Miller, Nielsen VP, Audience Insights, Stephanie Friedman, Nielsen VP, Client Solutions and all those who worked on the presentation. You’ve given radio good food for thought as we make our Christmas and holiday programming decisions.
And, from the A&O&B Team: “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good book!”